Upon hearing the phrase "Roman Republic", most people think of a rich, powerful, vast nation with a dictator as the only form of government. Most people are wrong. The government of Rome had three well-known parts. Those parts were the senate, the consuls, and, in certain times, the dictators. In Rome, the rich patricians filled these occupations, until later when the Plebs were allowed to join. Because of the huge state of the Rome's empire, the three main government jobs, the senate, consuls, and dictator, were extremely large and important.
The senate was the largest part of the Roman government. It was made up of 300 magistrates. An important job of the senate was watching finances. The senate would congregate in a building called the Curia, in the Roman forum. At first birth was what determined who was a senator. " a cross between the British and Canadian senates in that individual members could (eventually) be appointed" (Saywell and Ricker 1) After the fourth century B.C., plebeians, the lower class, were allowed in the senate. It was possible for a senator to be kicked out if he betrayed Rome. After the fall of the empire, the senate lasted, but not for long. After 450 A.D., the senate was only there for show. .
The title of consul didn't come around until 366 B.C. The two chairmen of the senate were the consuls. They were elected by members of the senate. The consuls were commanders of the Roman army. Usually, the consuls were around forty-three. Because the consuls wanted games to be remembered, they had artists write down information about the games. The consuls were rarely seen in public but they were well-known. The consuls led the senate, were involved in foreign affairs, and could be overshadowed by dictators. Imperium duplex is the power divided between two. Annuum is the law that the consuls can only be in office for a year. Both of these things applied to the consuls. When a consul would die, there would rarely or never be a replacement.
Soon after his marriage to Cornelia a new dictator was appointed by the name of Sulla. ... He was later elected in the highest office of the Roman Republic as Consul of Rome. ... Soon after Caesar left Rome and his Father in law Pompey became consul. ... In the end Roman fortification proved superior and Gaul was conquered. ... Upon Caesar's return to Rome he was made dictator. ...
Julius Caesar was not just a ruler but a dictator as well. ... The executive branch- two leaders of the branch, the consuls, were elected for one year by the upper class. They supervised the senate and ordered the Roman army during wars. ... These senates were appointed by the counsels. ... Our president today is nothing close to a dictator. ...
Caesar became the supreme priest, but he wanted to be higher in the Senate, so he joined together with two wealthy Romans, Crassus and Pompey. With these two as friends, he became consul. ... In 46 BC, Caesar became dictator. ... Antony revolted against Octavian for the role as Roman dictator, so they went to war. ... After this, Octavian demanded that he be made consul, and his wish was granted. ...
This ended the Etruscan Monarch period and made way for the Roman Republic. The two Consuls that were elected were the chief magistrates of the Roman State. The Comitia Centuriata (Assembly of Centuries) elected the two Consuls from the already existing Senate. ... There were two Consuls so that one consul could "veto", or forbid, the decisions of the other; therefore making sure that there was no abuse of power between the Consuls. ... The Senate wanted Julius to disband his army so Julius marched into Italian territory with his army, destroyed Pompey and his army, and declared himse...
When the Optimate dictator, Sulla was in power, he ordered Caesar to divorce her, when Caesar refused, Sulla proscribed him and Caesar went into hiding... Caesar was elected consul against heavy Optimate opposition led by Marcus Porcius Cato, a shrewd and extremely conservative politician. ... Pompey's legions were in Spain, so he and the Senate retreated to Brundisium and from there sailed to the East. Caesar quickly advanced to Rome, set up a rump Senate and had himself declared dictator. ... After a remarkably short campaign, he returned to Rome and was elected consul, thus legalizi...
Gaius Julius Caesar was a brilliant general, a great politician, and a powerful dictator of the Roman republic. ... He gained alot of popularity because of this and because he sided with those seeking power outside the circle of nobles, who at that time dominated the Roman senate. ... In 52 BC Pompey was made sole consul. ... In 49 BC he was appointed dictator, and eventually he became dictator for life. He was also elected sole consul in 48 BC. ...
Lucius Cornelius Sulla was a Roman general and dictator during the last century of the Roman Republic. ... Sulla came from a patrician family, served as consul, and led military campaigns in North Africa, and against Mithradates of Pontus. ... He used his power to re-establish the supremacy of Senate in the Roman state and to carry out other reforms. ... He served under Marius in Africa and became consul in 88 B.C., when Mithradates VI of Pontus was overrunning Roman territory in the east. ... The dictator reorganized the government with measures which would remove any popu...
Julius Caesar Caesar, Gaius Julius (100-44Bc), Roman general and statesman, who laid the foundations of the roman imperial system. ... Thus backed, Caesar was elected consul for 59bc despite Optimate hostility, and the year after (58bc) he was appointed governor of Roman Gaul. ... In three months Caesar was master of all Italy; his forces then took Spain and key port of Massalia (now Marseille) In Rome Caesar became dictator until elected consul for 48bc. ... In 47bc he pacified Asia Minor and returned to Rome to become dictator again. ... On March 15 of that year, when Caesar ente...